Standards and Teacher Notes



For all groups, this project combines English and mathematics skills as it forces students to research, present, and teach about a particular math area.

In the Michigan High School Content expectations, this project accomplishes in the English and Language Arts Strands:

STANDARD 1.2 Use writing, speaking, and visual expression for personal understanding and growth.
STANDARD 1.3 Communicate in speech, writing, and multimedia using content, form, voice, and style appropriate to the audience and purpose (e.g., to reflect, persuade, inform, analyze, entertain, inspire).
STANDARD 1.4 Develop and use the tools and practices of inquiry and research—generating, exploring, and refining important questions; creating a hypothesis or thesis; gathering and studying evidence; drawing conclusions; and composing a report.

Although each student will be an expert in only one of these strands, this project accomplishes the following strands in mathematics (depending slightly on the mathematicians and topics that get chosen by the students):

L1.1 Number Systems and Number Sense - Several of the cultures investigated will have taken part in developing number systems
G1.1 Lines and Angles; Basic Euclidean and Coordinate Geometry
G1.2 Triangles and Their Properties
G1.6 Circles and Their Properties

Teacher Notes:


Although what each student takes with him/her in this project may vary, it is important for students to understand that math is an ever-evolving study will many potential new discoveries and proofs. This will make students even more interested in learning new math applications.